


Cosmogyral

by Avalon



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Gen, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-16
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2017-12-08 15:39:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 8,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/763078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avalon/pseuds/Avalon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of interconnecting drabbles about a paragon Shepard and her companions throughout the Mass Effect trilogy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. "It says OCCUPIED."

**Author's Note:**

> Most chapters began from prompts from WriteWorld on tumblr. These drabbles are not in chronological order.

_Takes place during Mass Effect 2  
_

* * *

"It says "OCCUPIED"," Garrus pointed out, scratching the back of this head nervously.

"That's just EDI trying to keep you out," Joker explained over the comm. This did little to calm the turian as he stared at the locked door of the women's bathroom.  
  
It had started out as small dares exchanged between himself and Joker over the comm while the Normandy was docked at the Citadel, but had eventually turned into a real competition. Joker had proved himself by stealing a cab and successfully avoiding C-Sec for an hour before returning it to rapid transit undedicated. Now it was Garrus' turn. He should have realized his task would be something as petty as breaking into the Women's Bathroom.  
  
"I don't know, Joker," Garrus replied warily, staring at the locked door. Sniping mercs? Not a problem. Possibly running into Chambers or Gabby in the bathroom? Countless repercussions. Many of which included painful ends, both to his face and his pride.  
  
"Just open the damn door, or admit that I am the most badass member of the Normandy," Joker taunted, knowing very well that Garrus Vakarian wasn't one to give up so easily. "Other than the Commander," Joker added quickly.  
  
Garrus rolled his eyes, bringing his hands up cautiously to the interface to bypass the locked code. As he typed, EDI pipped in over the comm.  
  
"Mr. Vakarian, the men's facilities are on the port side of the ship," she chimed politely, but her tone implied amusement.  
  
"Thank you, EDI. I am aware," Garrus replied, entering the code. The bypass wasn't too difficult which made the turian wonder why Joker thought this was such a great demonstration of Garrus' badassery. Fortunately, he didn't have to wonder for long when the doors opened to a showering Shepard.  
  
Upon the doors opening, she had turned to see who had intruded on her bath time letting a small yelp as she covered herself ungracefully with her hands and arms. Garrus immediately turned around, hearing the sound of Joker laughing uncontrollably over the comm, while EDI halfheartedly (if a controlled AI could exult such emotion) scolded the pilot.  
  
"Garrus! What are you doing?" Shepard asked, clearly flustered as she turned the shower off.  
  
Garrus was a little flustered himself. Definitely not how he pictured seeing Shepard naked- Not that he often thought of how he would see her naked. She was his commanding officer. And friend.  
  
"I, uh, well," he began, nervously. "Joker and I were challenging one another to have some fun while we were docked, and uh, he-"  
  
"He dared you to go into the girls' bathroom?" Shepard finished, her tone annoyed.  
  
Shit, shit, shit. Garrus thought to himself.  
  
"Joker! What the hell is wrong with you?" Shepard shouted, knowingly very well that EDI had patched her into the intercom. All she got in return was Joker's laughter echoing throughout the floor of the Crew's Deck.  
  
"I'll just, uh… go, then," Garrus announced, shuffling down the hallway to give his commander some privacy.  
"EDI, make sure those repairs on the shower in my cabin are fixed today." He heard Shepard order as the doors slid closed.  
  
"Pleased, Joker?" Garrus drawled, touching his comm as he spoke. He received rather loud, snorting laughter as a reply.  


 


	2. "Can you smell that?"

_Takes place during Mass Effect 2_

* * *

"Can you smell that?" Grunt asked, audibly sniffing the air around him.

"Hm. Scorched meat. Possibly varren." Mordin observed.  
  
"Focus," Shepard demanded, her gun still drawn as she turned the corner.  
  
"How am I supposed to focus when it smells so disgusting?" Grunt asked, his voice displaying his discomfort.  
  
"And here I thought krogan enjoyed roasted varren," Shepard said with an amused grin.  
  
"Funny, Shepard," Grunt deadpanned.  
  
"Hallway clear, Shepard," Mordin announced, lowering his gun as he looked around at their surroundings.  
  
Tuchanka was not as Grunt expected, but it had been everything Mordin expected. Both were left displeased.  Shepard's visit had seemed to awaken them all to the effects of the genophage, and the realization seemed to effect them all differently.  
  
Shepard swore to herself that she would do whatever she could to help the krogan, not out of pity, but out of respect. She couldn't tell how her squad mates were reacting, but she left it alone, knowing very well that they would speak with her with any concerns they had.  
  
"Looks like we've cleared the hospital," Shepard declared, putting away her gun. Her stance became relaxed, allowing Grunt and Mordin to take her lead and put away their own weapons.  
  
"So, should we look for the source of the smell? Or can you two wait until we get back to the Normandy to eat dinner?" Shepard asked cheekily as she started back towards the truck that they borrowed from Wrex.  
  
Grunt made a huffed noise, while Mordin contemplated her words.  
  
"Overexposure to Pilot is resulting in poor attempts at humor," Mordin said, though Shepard could hear the hint of amusement in his voice. Shepard smirked, and continued to lead her boys back to the truck.


	3. It Had to be Today

_Takes place during Mass Effect 2_

* * *

It had to be today.

She had to face the past. Her past.  
  
Hell, her past life, technically speaking.  
  
Shepard had been surprised at the message she had received that told her the coordinates of the late Normandy. Especially since it was sent to her by the Alliance and not the Illusive Man. For all his talk of information, it was strange to her the things he "didn't" know.  
  
Archangel's identity, Kaidan's mission on Horizon, and now the grave of her crew and her ship. Possibly the place where Cerberus had found her corpse.  
  
The thought of herself as a corpse made her shiver in discomfort. Luckily, none of her crew was in the Kodiak to witness her brief show of distress. Garrus had insisted he accompany her, if only to set his own mind at ease, but she wouldn't let him. This trip she had to make alone, and find more reason to fight the collectors.  
  
Witness the destruction, her destruction, and hold on to whatever feeling, be it sadness or anger, she felt and use it to drive her.  
  
Despite her reasoning, nothing prepared her for seeing the crash for herself. It wasn't too messy, and there were no outward signs that anyone had gone down the with ship, though she knew better. As she walked around the wreckage, she found a few dog tags that belonged to her crew and silently mourned them.  
  
However, silently mourning her crew was not helping the tightness in her throat and chest subside. She knew she needed to release all the pent up distress she was desperately trying to bash back into her soul lest it bubble over, but she wasn’t willing to let it go.  
  
However, upon finding her old helmet she couldn’t stop the tears and the audible cry that tore from her throat. She held the helmet, looking into where her eyes would have been, and had a strange out of body experience that lasted only a moment. Shepard caressed the helmet as if it were a fragile thing, smiling at her actions. If her body and her armor could live through such an assault, what was preventing her from blowing the collectors into a black hole?  
  
Nothing.  



	4. Scars

_Takes place during Mass Effect 2_

* * *

"You know, Shepard, with what hell you've been through it's a wonder you don't have a nasty number carved in your face," Zaeed said, leaning back onto the wall of his quarters. Shepard was currently examining his trophies, and had been doing so silently before Zaeed made his observation.

Shepard breathed a laugh, twisting on her feet to face him and away from the krogan helmet that had captured her interest. "I did, but when Cerberus rebuilt me, they didn't keep the scars. Well, other than the few cybernetic scratches that they didn't have time to mend," she explained.  
  
Zaeed cocked his head to the side, clearly intrigued by that fact. "Then what scars did you have?"  
  
Shepard's expression turned nostalgic, and Zaeed was surprised at the change. Mainly she looked like a commander: strong, stern, but had the occasional break when she made a joke.  
  
"I had one here," she traced a small line over her top lip. "And another here," she traced a line on her right cheek. She gave a small smile, almost half hearted. "I got them from Mindoir."  
  
Her eyes didn't water, nor did she look distressed at the topic, but Zaeed could feel the tension. She was good at hiding her emotions, like a commanding officer would, he supposed.  
  
"Well, what doesn't kill you, leaves its mark, eh?" He finally said, shifting against the wall uncomfortably.  
  
To this, Shepard smiled genuinely. "And even when it does kill you, it leaves a mark. Eh, Zaeed?" She mimicked his accent at the end, causing him to laugh.  
  
"Well you and I would know a bit about that," he replied, tipping his head in her direction.


	5. "Why does that doll have my face?"

_Takes place in Mass Effect 2_

* * *

"Why does that doll have my face?" Shepard asked, horrified. She pointed at the advert flashing on the wall of the Citadel. Garrus walked over to Shepard, Grunt following at his own leisurely pace.

"You have to admit, they captured your likeness," Garrus said, clearly amused. Shepard glared at him, still pointing at the offending children's toy.

Grunt laughed openly. "The Great Commander Shepard! A doll for girls."

"What am I doing as a doll?" Shepard wasn't even sure she wanted the answer.

"Well, you did take down a reaper that attempted to destroy the citadel," Garrus drawled. Shepard huffed, crossing her arms as the advert continued to play. It turned from showing Shepard's doll, to the dolls of Garrus and Liara.

"Is that…?" Shepard began, a smile breaking out on her face.

"Oh no," Garrus groaned. Grunt barked out a laugh.

Shepard smirked, nudging him with her elbow. "Aw, it's not that bad Garrus. You have to admit, _they captured your likeness_."

It was Garrus' turn to look annoyed. "I can't wait to see what Liara thinks of this," he said. The advert changed to display the other dolls of the original Normandy crew, children playing with them while a narrator explained whom everyone was.

"You would think we would get some kind of royalties for this," Garrus said, torn between his former amusement and his current distaste.

"I would have thought you knew about this," Shepard said, a grin still gracing her features as she looked at him.

"Being a vigilante doesn't really allow time for idle advert browsing," Garrus deadpanned.

"At least they didn't name your doll "Archangel". I doubt the mercs would have been scared of you then," Grunt said, chuckling afterwards.

"Laugh it up Grunt! If we make it through this suicide mission, I bet you 100 credits that there will a plushie version of you up on that wall," Garrus said, gesturing to wall. That shut Grunt right up.

"Hey Commander!" Shepard turned around to find Joker walking towards them. "Guess what I bought at the gift shop?" Joker asked, eying Garrus and Shepard with equal amounts of smug amusement.

"Another Fornax?" Shepard taunted, shifting her weight from one foot to the next.

Joker looked down right evil as he took out two figures from his bag. Shepard's expression immediately turned into one of horror. Grunt burst out laughing once again.

"No! You are _not_ having those aboard my ship!" Shepard demanded, arms now at her sides, fists clenched.

" _Oh yes_ I am. I even got one of myself. They were nearly sold out of you and Garrus. Apparently you two are the favorites out of the crew," Joker said in disbelief.

"Let me see," Grunt said, pushing Garrus aside to stand next to Joker. He held Garrus' doll in his hand, observing it. "Heh, heh. They even got your eye thing right."

"Okay, shore leave is _over._ " Shepard announced, snatching Garrus' doll and stomping off towards the Normandy.

Joker hobbled after her. "Careful with that! I spent good money on Garrus!" Grunt snickered, and Garrus shook his head in mild embarrassment.

Shepard would later place the figurines in her cabin, right next to her model ships.


	6. "I'm a bad, bad man, sugar."

_Takes place in Mass Effect 2  
_

* * *

"I'm a bad, bad man, sugar." Zaeed's tone was suggestive, if not overzealous. Shepard smirked, eying the merc as he leaned up against the wall of the outpost, blowing on the tip of his gun. Garrus coughed, clearly unimpressed.  
  
Shepard loved bring the two sharpshooters with her on missions. Not only did they watch her back, they offered her banter that kept a sly grin plastered on her face. She wasn't sure what kept Zaeed loyal to her, as he was only hired muscle, but she imagined the repartee had something to do with it. If only for now.  
  
"If we wanted to seduce the mercs, I'm sure you would do just fine Massani," Garrus drawled. He held his sniper rifle in both hands and stood tall, as if on the offensive. Shepard eyed his form silently, as she had been the past few days. She had never thought of Garrus in anyway other than a loyal friend and comrade, but after Kelly mentioned her interest in "comforting" Garrus, Shepard had to reevaluate her feelings. It's not that she felt threatened by Kelly, per se, but Shepard's immediate feeling of jealously did make her confused.  
   
She and Garrus had become close on the original Normandy, but it wasn't romantic in the least. Did humans even date turians? She wasn't even sure such a thing was possible, but she had see a krogan and an asari couple back on Illium. If those two species could make it work…  
  
"Damn right I would," Zaeed replied cheekily. Garrus snorted disbelievingly, turning away from Zaeed to face Shepard. Her eyes snapped up to his face, and she felt a faint flush fall over her cheeks. In an attempt to hide her embarrassment, she moved forward towards the exit and spoke.  
  
"Our work is done here. The Illusive Man will just have to be satisfied with the information we got. Let's get back to the Normandy."  
  
"Whatever you say, Shepard," Zaeed replied, pushing off the wall and following Shepard. Garrus eyed Shepard oddly, but she wouldn't meet his eye as she walked past him. He narrowed his eyes, unsure of why she wouldn't look at him, but followed after Zaeed.  
  
Shepard led the way, smiling sheepishly at her own behavior and was thankful that neither Zaeed or Garrus could see her adolescent grin. She felt ridiculous, but at least she also found herself humorous. She couldn't help her wondering gaze, and now her face betrayed her emotions. She had never felt this giddy around Kaidan.  
  
With Kaidan it was such a mutual fondness, that it felt more causal. Despite this, there was an underlying tone of love. It still stung Shepard that Kaidan dismissed her so quickly upon seeing her again. She knew that in someway what Kaidan was doing is what she would do had she seen a former comrade come back from the dead, but it still sting. A whole hell of a lot more than she had anticipated. A bit late to realize her feelings, she supposed.  
  
"How did it go?" Joker asked, when the three boarded the Normandy.  
  
"Fine," was Shepard's reply.  
  
"Just as fun as last time, huh?" Joker asked sarcastically, moving his hands around the Normandy's console.  
  
"Running around as the Illusive Man's goons isn't exactly what I'd label as 'fun'," Shepard replied bitterly, coming to a stop behind Joker's chair to look out the windows.  
  
"At least he's paying us," Zaeed said, already headed towards the elevator.  
  
"Yeah, but we get scraps compared to the commission you're getting, Zaeed!" Shepard called. She could hear him chuckling before he walked out of earshot.  
  
"I have no idea why you trust him," Garrus said. Shepard turned around, facing the turian that stood behind her.  
  
"He's proved himself able, plus I doubt he would actually get paid if he killed the Illusive Man's multibillion investment," Shepard replied, crossing her arms.  
  
Garrus hummed, still unconvinced.  
  
"What?" Shepard asked, raising an eyebrow. She had a vague idea of what was irritating Garrus, but better to make him voice his concerns then let him stew all day.  
  
"Nothing. He's just very vocal with his uh, opinions," Garrus replied, though not with the confidence she expected him to have.  
  
"Said something about me to you, did he?" Shepard asked, now amused. Zaeed and she had bantered, but neither party actually wanted to take things to another level. Personally, Shepard found Zaeed a little terrifying, but he would never find out if she could help it.  
  
"Yes," he admitted. "Shepard, I don't know if it's some human custom I'm unaware of, but Alenko never really   mentioned you around us."  
  
"He's got a point, though Alenko was kind of a puppy," Joker interjected. Shepard turned her head to look at Joker but he kept his eyes on the console. Shepard turned back to Garrus and smiled.  
  
"Neither one of those things are a human custom. Alenko just didn't speak to people about me, and Zaeed doesn't 'have' me so he's just flirting," she paused. "Aggressively."  
  
"Ah," Garrus said, though not entirely relieved at the explanation. Shepard wondered if he was somehow jealous, but she couldn't tell. Turian expressions were harder to read than her fellow human and asari crew mates'.  
  
After about a few moments of awkward silence, Joker looked over his shoulder.  
  
"Are you two just going to stand here all day in stoic silence, or actually tell me where I should set our next course?" Shepard shifted to face her pilot, feeling that faint blush creep back across her face.  
  
"Set a course for Omega. We need to restock," Shepard said.  
  
"Oh I know what I'm restocking," Joker said smugly.  
  
Shepard shook her head, both amused and disgusted at that implications of that statement, before brushing past Garrus and heading for her quarters.


	7. Reunited

_Takes place during Mass Effect 2, and we're backtracking a little._

* * *

"Shepard, I really suggest we get the Professor first," Miranda said, and despite her words, her tone was more a command than a suggestion.

Shepard rolled her eyes, walking over to the Batarian that would take them to the firefight. Miranda wasn't all bad, Shepard had decided, but she was still being a pain in the ass. Shepard hoped that Miranda would loosen up once she realized that Shepard didn't plan on quitting the mission until the collectors were stopped.

Shepard's other squad mate, Zaeed, was proving to be both a good shot and good at only speaking when he had something important or humorous to say. Definitely a relief after meeting Jacob and Miranda and their hard loyalty for Cerberus.

After taking the shuttle to the rendezvous point, the three set out to learn as much as they could about the game plan, sabotaging a few mechs along the way. Shepard wasn't too excited to get this "Archangel"; he sounded a bit too vigilante for her tastes, but meeting the sod wouldn't hurt. Plus, if he turned out to be more trouble than he was worth, she could take care of him herself. Which is why they needed to get to him first before these blasted mercs, but Shepard was feeling pretty confident that they would be able to delay them from killing Archangel out right.

Which is how she, and her companions ended up behind the first wave of distractions. And how they were suddenly the monkeys in the middle, bound to be shot by either Archangel or the mercs, if the mercs payed attention that is. Suddenly Shepard was shot back, not once but twice.

"My shields are down!" She shouted at Miranda and Zaeed who bolted on ahead of her. She looked up and saw Archangel sitting up, his sniper pointed directly at her.

Bastard. They seemed to just be concussive rounds, but they still jolted her body and gained her attention. When she fought the mercs back on the Cerberus station, she had been working on instinct (not to mention adrenaline), but now she was willingly walking into the line of fire and that fear of dying suddenly pulsed forward and she froze.

Logically she knew that if she just stormed ahead he couldn't blow her head of, but fear had her feet planted on the ground and had her staring directly into his helmet. He nodded quickly before ducking behind his cover and Shepard exhaled. She shook her head to rid herself of the moment and powered through to the base, slipping back into her soldier stance.

What was it about staring into the barrel of that sniper rifle that had her spooked?

Miranda and Zaeed quickly took care of the freelancers, and the three made their way to the upper level, guns drawn on the Turian.

"Archangel?" Shepard called out. He didn't turn around, instead he held up two fingers signaling for her to wait. He took one last shot, before getting up from his defensive position, walking slowly towards her. He took off his helmet, placing it on a nearby crate and finally hopped up on some other crates that had been stacked on top of each other. He made himself comfortable finally turning his head towards her.

Shepard's heart soared at the sight of him.

"Shepard," his voiced was strained. "I thought you were dead." He nodded to her, apparently relieved at the sight.

Shepard grinned, laughing out in relief. "Garrus!" She moved closer to him, raising her arms as if to hug him, but stopped herself from falling onto him. "What are you doing here?" Her tone implied a meeting of old friends on a random moon, not a reunion in a surrounded bunker.

"Just keeping my skills sharp," he replied. "A little target practice," he attempted to joke. The strain of exhaustion was evident in his speech.

"You okay?" Shepard asked softly. Garrus looked to her oddly for a moment, before answering.

"Been better, but it sure is good to see a friendly face. Killing mercs is hard work." He paused, and looked down. Shepard could see the grief playing out on his features, and was struck by it. Firstly, when did she become an expert on Turian facial expressions, and secondly, why was he grieving?

She decided to deflect. "Since when did you start calling yourself "Archangel"?" She asked, eyeing him playfully.

'It's just a name the locals gave me for… all my good deeds," he laughed, looking directly at her. "I don't mind it, but please… It's, uh," he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Just Garrus to you." Shepard reminded herself to call him that later, if only to make him blush. Do Turians blush?

When she asked him why he was on Omega, he answered much like she imagined he would. It didn't feel like two years had passed, but clearly Garrus had changed, however his motives had not. She tried to picture him in green, and sporting a hat. Robin Hood of the Milky Way. She suppressed a giggle.

"You know, you nailed me good a couple times, by the way," Shepard said, with subtle tones of flirtation. She rolled her shoulders and neck, hearing a confused noise come out of Miranda's mouth. She didn't miss the confused grin that appeared on Garrus' face.

He looked away, appearing aloof. "Concussive rounds only. No harm done." He looked back to her. "Didn't want the mercs getting suspicious." Shepard smirked.

"Uh huh," she crossed her arms, jerking her hip on as she leaned to one side.

"If I wanted to do _more_ than take your shields down, I'd have done it." He replied, and this time with more apparent sensuality than Shepard expected. He didn't look away from her, trying to gage her reaction. She looked to him surprised, but pleased. "Besides, you were taking your _sweet_ time. I needed to get you moving."

Shepard almost didn't know to respond. How the hell did this conversation become so sexually charged? She and Garrus never spoke like this on the old Normandy. Not that she wasn't enjoying it. Perhaps she was just relieved to see a friendly face. She wondered how he felt seeing her after two years of her being dead. However, she didn't have much time to think on it before they got straight to business.

They had three merc gangs to deal with, and naturally they were going against the odds.

Closing the shutters proved easy enough, but once the Blood Pack entered the base, things got a little tricky. Shepard found she much preferred Krogans being on her team, rather than facing them. Charging Krogan Warlords are _not_ one of Shepard's favorite things. And if things couldn't possibly get any worse, they had an airship aiming at them now. The Blue Sun's leader, Tarak, aimed right for Garrus who had dove to cover at precisely the right moment.

Shepard exhaled, turning from her cover nearby and nearly shouted at Garrus when he looked around the corner, ready to shoot the airship where it would disable it. Garrus then dove out of cover, but was unable to shoot in time before Tarak bombarded him with a few rounds of the airships bullets. Shepard yelled for Garrus, crawling haphazardly towards him.

"Shepard, what are you doing?!" Miranda shouted from her cover, clearly pissed at the Commander's lack of sense. Shepard looked down at Garrus, who was still breathing. Shepard felt relieved, but mostly angry as she heard the warship fly past the window. She narrowed her eyes and switched out her pistol for her grenade launcher which she shoot quickly and without blinking, taking the warship out within seconds. She threw the spent heavy weapon away, crawling back over to Garrus, her hands on his hip and chest, turning him towards her.

"Garrus?" She whispered. He inhaled loudly, his eyes opening for a brief moment, before fluttering closed once more. He was conscious, but barely. His hands gripped his sniper rifle, and turned into Shepard's embrace before promptly blacking out.

"Don't you dare die on me you bastard," Shepard ordered.

"I don't think he's going to make it, Shepard," Zaeed said gently. She glared at him, her hold on Garrus tightening.

& & &

Seeing him walk through the doors of the Briefing Room, simply a bandage covering his wounds relieved Shepard so much that her smile wouldn't leave her face. Jacob eyed her oddly, having not seen his Commander so blatantly happy before.

"Nobody would give me a mirror," he pointed to her as he strode into the room. "How bad is it?" He stopped once he got past the room's doors.

Shepard's smile turned into a smirk. "Hell Garrus, you were always ugly. Just slap a little face paint on there and no one will even notice." Garrus immediately laughed, his mandiables flaring out and twitching at the pain that must have flared up at the movement.

"Ah! Oh, don't make me laugh. Damn it, my face is barely holding together as it is." Garrus walked towards her, keeping a safe _sociable_ distance between them. "Some women find facial scars attractive," he drawled, that suggestive tone returning to his voice. Shepard nearly flushed, still aware of the third party in the room.

Garrus made up for that fact without missing a beat, turning his meaning into something comical. "Mind you, most of those women are Krogan." He looked towards Jacob. Shepard looked down, still grinning as she shook her head their conversation. 

Jacob seemed to get the hint and saluted his commander, who hadn't looked back over to him, and left without a word.

Garrus looked at her, apparently deciding on how to continue the conversation. He opted for the serious talk, which Shepard fell into without pause. 

Just like old times? _Yeah, with a little sexual tension,_ Shepard mused.


	8. Zaeed's Observations

_Takes place in Mass Effect 2  
_

* * *

 "So, you knew Archangel from before?" Zaeed casually asked, as Shepard eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"Interesting…" He smirked at her, looking briefly to Garrus then back to Shepard.  
  
"What's that tone meant to infer, Mr. Massani?" Shepard questioned.  
  
Shepard was leaning casually against the wall, near the kiosk that Garrus was currently browsing. Even with her laid back demeanor, her tone was challenging the merc. That, and the way Shepard kept looking at the turian, only made him want to continue speaking of his observations about her and Garrus.  
  
"It's meant to infer that you and Robin Hood over there seem real cozy with one another," Zaeed spoke plainly, and nodded his head towards Garrus.  
  
Shepard promptly blushed and pushed off the wall she had been leaning on. "We've known each other a long time. That's all," she explained, clearing her throat in a poor attempt to seem casual.  
  
"Right," Zaeed smirked.  
  
Shepard was many things, but coy and flustered wasn't among her usual traits; Needless to say, it amused the merc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so short, but I like it. It's a kind of party banter, and that is one thing I want more of in the Mass Effect series.


	9. There is No Ogling

_Takes place in Mass Effect 2_

* * *

Tali's persistent giggle was beginning to annoy Garrus.  
  
Shepard had taken him and Tali along with her to the Citadel while she browsed for upgrades for their gear in an attempt to spend time with the two of them. So far it had been a refreshing outing; No mercs or geth shooting at them, plus the scenery was a step up as far as Garrus was concerned. Spending two years on Omega had almost wiped the pleasant scenery of the Citadel from his mind. No doubt the place was just as corrupt as Omega, but at least it didn't look like a dying rock.  
  
Tali giggled again.  
  
Garrus turned his head to glare at her from his spot against the wall.  
  
Shepard was a few feet away browsing the wares of Rodam Expeditions and attempting to earn herself a discount and thus was paying no attention to her two companions.  
  
"What's so funny?" Garrus finally asked.  
  
Tali crossed her arms and looked at him. Garrus figured she was probably smirking if her stance gave anything away. "You," she replied with an amused tone.  
  
"Care to elaborate?"  
  
"Every time Shepard leads us someplace else, your eyes tend to… linger," Tali drawled.  
  
Garrus' mandibles flared. Oh, she definitely had to be smirking at him. "I don't know what you're talking about," Garrus replied curtly.  
  
Tali outright laughed. "So you weren't ogling Shepard's-"  
  
"No!" Garrus cut Tali off, now flustered. "I was merely looking towards Shepard. She is the one leading us around; Where else am I supposed to look?"  
  
"Her head?" Tali suggested. Garrus made an undignified noise in response and pushed off the wall he had been leaning against.  
  
"I bought us some mods, and got myself a discount," Shepard announced proudly, walking over to her friends. She looked from Garrus to Tali, noticing the slight tension. "Did I miss something?" She asked amicably.  
  
"No," Garrus replied quickly. Tali giggled again, and Garrus shot her an angry glare.  
  
Shepard hummed. "Right. Well, let's go to the gift shop."  
  
"Planning to get another action figure of the crew?" Garrus asked, grinning at the memory.  
  
Shepard snorted a laugh. "No, no. I have to restock my fish," she explained sheepishly.  
  
"Then lead the way, Shepard," Tali encouraged, looking at Garrus. Probably still smirking, Garrus thought.  
Shepard smiled, oblivious to Tali teasing Garrus, and started towards the gift shop.  
  
Garrus stood, watching her walk away. He thought his gaze seemed casual, until Tali brushed past him and said, "Looking towards Shepard's hips, Garrus?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't lie: This is totally based of Alistair and Wynne's party banter in Dragon Age. Though I'm not sure I did it justice...


	10. Defiant Eyes in the Scope

_Takes place in Mass Effect 2._

* * *

 "I can't talk to you right now."  
  
Thane's attention was drawn away from his cup of tea to the voices that broke the silence in the mess hall. He looked up from the table where he was currently seated to see the turian who occupied the Main Battery storm pass, with the commander in tow. They didn't notice his presence.  
  
"Garrus, we need to talk about about this." Shepard's tone was torn between ordering Vakarian, and pleading with him.  
  
"There's nothing to talk about, Commander." Vakarian didn't look at Shepard as he spoke. At his statement, Shepard reached out and grabbed his arm to make him face her.  
  
"There's a hell of a lot we need to talk about," she said. The two came to a halt at the foot of the sleeper pod hallway.  
  
Thane was no expert on turian facial expressions by any means, but it seemed that Vakarian was conflicted by those words, for more than the current conversation.  
  
"You should have let me take the shot," Vakarian finally said. He didn't attempt to take his arm out of her grasp.  
  
"Revenge kills don't-" Shepard began, but was cut off by Vakarian.  
  
"It was _justice_." Vakarian tore his arm out of her grasp and stepped away. However, Shepard took another step forward, staying in Vakarian's personal space.  
  
"If you think so, then why didn't you take the shot?" Shepard dared him to answer. Thane was impressed with the commander's audacity; He had imagined humans kept the fear of turians from their contact war.  
  
" _Because you stepped in front of my damned scope_ ," Vakarian all but growled.  
  
Thane's eyes widened. He watched as the two stood staring at each other, saying nothing. Finally, Vakarian walked away, and back into the Main Battery. Shepard sighed, and walked back to the elevator in a defeated march.  
  
Once the mess hall was engulfed with silence, Thane allowed himself to fall back onto a memory, whispering the words quietly.  
  
_"Laser dot trembles on the skull._  
  
_One finger twitch; he dies._  
  
_And…the smell of spice on the Spring wind._  
  
_Sunset colored eyes defiant in the scope._  
  
_The laser dances away."_  
  
He wondered if Vakarian's situation was similar to his. He wondered if perhaps there was more to Shepard's touch of Vakarian's arm, and he wondered if the turian knew it.  
  
Thane brought the cup up to his lips. The tea was cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While talking to Thane in my most recent playthrough, I finally made this connection! Perhaps it's far fetched, but I liked it so I ran with it. I toyed with the idea of Thane talking to Garrus about it, but I felt that it was more in Thane's character to quietly observe.


	11. 3 cycles, 6 hours and 43 minutes

_Takes place in Mass Effect 2._

* * *

3 cycles, 6 hours and 43 minutes had passed since Garrus had spoken to Shepard.

3 cycles. 6 hours. Now 43 minutes and 14 seconds.

She hadn't realized how much his silence could bother her until she was faced with it. Or rather, not faced. After her first few attempts at engaging him in conversation in the Main Battery, and promptly being shot down while he "calibrated the guns", the commander found herself in quite the predicament.

It wasn't that she didn't understand his frustration with her, but Shepard knew that killing someone out of vengeance was not going to take away the grief. She also knew Garrus was rash at the worst of times, and allowing him this kill could open a door for him that he would never walk back out of. War and death had already spoiled her past friendships. She wasn't about to let the only member of the crew she could wholly trust fall down that rabbit hole.

With all this in mind, Shepard finally decided that 3 cycles being treated with a cold shoulder was more than enough time wasted. They had a suicide mission to worry about, after all. She could hardly manage focusing on the task at hand knowing her closest friend wasn't speaking to her.

"Garrus," Shepard said with her "no-nonsense" voice, as she walked into the main battery.

As she predicted, he stood in front of the same screen, typing away, not looking at her.

"Shepard, I'm in the-"

"No," she said quickly and with her commanding voice.

It surprised Garrus enough that he stopped typing for a moment before continuing. He was determined to be angry.

"We need to talk."

Garrus sighed, and turned around to face her, crossing his arms defensively.

Shepard looked away for a moment, allowing herself time to gather her thoughts, then met his eyes. "I'm sorry that I stopped you. I know it was your mission, and I was second in command that day." She paused, seeing if he would interject but he remained silent so she continued. "But, I know you Garrus. You knew Sidonis as a friend and comrade first, not as a traitor. You couldn't just shoot him and forget the rest."

There was a tense silence, or at least Shepard thought so, for a few minutes before Garrus finally broke the silence.

"I know, Shepard," he sighed softly. His eyes were now trained on the floor, head heavy.

Shepard let out a small breath of relief. "So, are we good?"

Garrus looked back up and nodded once, then stepped closer to Shepard. He wasn't too close, but it was their comfortable stances rather than the cold distance Garrus had been keeping from her.

"I was angry at you because I knew the moment you stepped in my crosshairs that you were right," he admitted. "Sidonis did betray our squad, but he wasn't the reason they were dead. It was the mercs, and I got justice for my squad when you showed up and got me out of that bunker."

Shepard knew Garrus couldn't smile traditionally like her, but she had a feeling the flare of his mandibles and the opening of his mouth was his grin, so she grinned back.

"When will you just admit that I'm always right so we can get back to work?" Shepard jested, earning her a bark of laughter from Garrus.

"You haven't been proved wrong yet Shepard, but I don't know if I can place all my chips in your corner."

Shepard feigned an insulted expression. "You wound me, Vakarrian."

"I didn't realize I had the power to do so, Shepard. Not even the collectors can hurt you." Garrus gestured to her, referencing to her recent return from the dead. Shepard felt flush at the implications of his statement. She wasn't sure if he meant it as so, but she realized in that moment how true it was.

"Then you'd better be more careful. You wouldn't want to explain to the Illusive Man that you managed to kill off the Savior of the Galaxy simply by wounding her pride."

Garrus laughed again. "I doubt his fury would match your's."

"Now now, Garrus. Flattery will get you everywhere," she quipped.

He leaned his torso closer, causing the grin on Shepard's face to falter for a moment. "I'll make a note of that." He then stepped back and turned back towards his algorithms, leaving Shepard unsure if he was flirting again or if she was imaging things. She found herself hoping he was.

"I-I should go," she said after a moment and turned to leave the Main Battery. She had entered the Main Battery wound up with worry, and she was now leaving feeling wound up with confusion and anticipation for their next conversation.


	12. "This. Is. Impossible."

_Takes place in Mass Effect 2._

* * *

 "She's not in the mood for visitors," EDI warned as Garrus approached Shepard's cabin doors.

"I can handle an angry Shepard, EDI. Though I appreciate the warning," he replied.

Garrus brought his omnitool up to the door and made quick work of bypassing the lock. When the doors whooshed opened he was met with the sight of his commander sitting on the floor,surrounded by pieces of something he couldn't decipher. At the noise, Shepard looked over her shoulder and Garrus could see the angry flush in her cheeks.

"Uh, you alright Shepard?" Garrus asked carefully. He took a few steps closer, stopping at the top of the stairs leading down to her bedroom.

Shepard rose ungracefully, wiping her hands on her pants before pointing an accusatory finger at the mess. "This. Is. _Impossible_."

"Care to elaborate?" Garrus brought a hand to his neck, scratching it nervously. While used to dealing with Shepard when she was in unfavorable moods, usually he understood the cause.

Shepard took a deep breath, and brought a hand up to her face to rub the bridge of her nose. "I bought an additional shelf for those model ships I've been collecting and they sent it unassembled, which is _fine_. I take apart my guns all the time, and build those damn models. I know how to put things together."

"Well, your Viper would say otherwise," Garrus quipped, earning himself a glare.

"It's just these damn instructions! They make no sense," Shepard continued. "You would think with the technology we have there would be some easier way to assemble a damned shelf."

"Hand it over," he gestured towards the folded up, and slightly ripped paper at Shepard's feet. She huffed again, but grabbed the paper and walked over to him.

Once Garrus got the instructions in his hands, he wasn't sure why Shepard was having a problem. The diagrams were simple, and as far as he could tell it was in her language.

"Why don't I give it go?" He suggested.

Shepard patted his arm and dramatically said, "Good Luck."

He huffed a laugh, and walked down to the sea of parts. Shepard followed, but only so she could get to her bed where she plopped down unceremoniously.

About 15 minutes later, Garrus had not only managed to get the shelf in one piece, he had also hung it up for her.

"How the hell did you do that?!" Shepard exclaimed, looking at the shelf in awe.

Garrus brought his hands up, waving his fingers at her. "I'm good with my hands."

Shepard grinned, and let out a small laugh. Her cheeks flushed pink, and Garrus grinned (as much as turian is able) finding his newfound ability to bring color to her cheeks both amusing and satisfying.

"What would I do without you, Garrus?" She asked, shoving him with her shoulder playfully.

"Questions you'll probably never have to find the answer to," he replied, shoving her right back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a prompt someone gave me over on my tumblr. I've been trying to write for ages and it's been ech, but these prompts helped so I hope you like the little fill! Hopefully I'll get back in the swing of things and update more often. I love exploring their relationship.


	13. Target Practice

_Takes place in Mass Effect 2_

* * *

 "What's this?" Shepard shouted, looking around at the target drones that were placed throughout the hangar bay. She didn't see Garrus, but knew he had to be nearby since he was the one who messaged her to come down.

"This," came Garrus' echoey reply as he came out from behind one of the large fans that littered the hangar. "Is us refining your sniping skills."

He held his Mantis over his shoulder, and Shepard found herself just grinning at the sight. She wondered if he realized how often she ogled him when he stood like that. There was just something inherently attractive when Garrus looked laid back, yet alert.

Shepard tore her eyes away and looked at the target over his shoulder to distract herself.

"My skills need refining, do they?" She asked, crossing her arms in that very Commander way she usually did when unimpressed.

"As I recall, our tally was 15 to 4 last ground mission." Garrus said, a little smug.

Shepard huffed. "That's just you stealing my kills."

"Either way means you need practice," Garrus replied., with a chuckle. "Here." He tossed her his sniper, and pointed at the closest target.

Shepard took the hint and walked in front of the target. Garrus followed, and stood behind her as she lined up the shot. She held her breath then shot on the exhale, feeling the familiar recoil bump her shoulder. She lowered the scope to see she managed to nick a limb of the drone.

Shepard squinted in distaste, and rolled her shoulder. "Perhaps I am a little rusty," she admitted. 

"Your stance is off," Garrus pointed out from behind her. 

She turned to look at him as he walked behind her, but he pushed her back lightly to make her face forward. Shepard obeyed, lifting her rifle at the drone again. Then Garrus pushed her right foot forward with his own right foot, causing Shepard to lean onto his thigh, and brought a hand to her left hip to line shift her stance. It was not as awkward as she thought it would have been given their height difference and her cheeks burned with the sudden close proximity.

“Now,” Garrus’ voice was sudden very low and very close to Shepard’s ear. She held back a shiver, praying to whatever stars out there that Garrus could not read her vitals - or if he could, that he didn’t know how to read how her body was reacting. “Lift the rifle up a little more.”

She did. 

“Good.” His voice sounded like a purr. “Now inhale.”

She did.

“Pull the trigger.”

She did, and hit the drone in its head. She exhaled, feeling far too warm.

“Impressive,” Garrus said, a little surprised. Apparently, he wasn’t expecting such a good shot.

“Thanks,” Shepard breathed. She wanted to turn around to see what his expression was (even if she couldn’t decipher it), but stayed where she was. She couldn’t recall a time she and Garrus had ever really been in such close proximity.

“So, you’re a hands on kind of teacher, hmm?” She asked, chuckling breathlessly.

The hand on her waist tightened momentarily. “If it gets that kind of result, I don’t see why not,” he drawled.

Shepard shifted slightly as she tried to look at him, but his hands didn’t let her turn. She felt a blush spread across her chest and up her cheeks.

“Shepard, I-“ Garrus began before being promptly interrupted by Joker’s voice.

“Commander, the Illusive Man is waiting for you in the conference room. Sounded urgent.”

Garrus’ hands immediately dropped from her waist, and she felt him take a step back.

She brought her arm up to use her omni tool to reply, “I’ll be right there,” in a controlled voice.

She turned around to an awkward looking turian, who was scratching his neck and looking anywhere but at her. Shepard smiled, and walked close to him and grasped his arm conversationally.

“We’ll talk later,” she assured him.

Garrus cleared his throat, and turned his gaze at her hand before looking her in the eye. “Have fun. I’m sure he only has good news,”  he jested.

Shepard let her hand drop back to her side and began to walk towards the elevator. “Like I’m going to be able to focus on anything he says,” she replied with a smirk, even though she knew Garrus couldn’t see it. He let out what sounded like a mixture of a laugh and a cough.

As the elevator doors closed she heard, “Always a pleasure, Shepard.”


	14. Drinks with Chakwas

_ Takes place in Mass Effect 2. _

* * *

 "I thought Alenko's biotic display might've broken Jenkins' back, but Jenkins pops up and yells, _that was awesome!_ " Dr. Chakwas' yell could be heard throughout the Crew's Deck.

Garrus, who was in the main battery as usual, turned his head away from his console at the voice, and quickly returned his attention to the screen in front of him. He allowed himself to chuckle at what he heard; It wasn't every day he heard the stern doctor raise her voice, and with such amusement.

It was silent after that, aside from the normal chatter of the crew mingling, so Garrus lost himself in the codes and algorithms of the Normandy's guns. He had spent most of his waking hours on the ship this way, and didn't mind in the least. Despite Chambers insistence that he get to know the crew, Garrus kept to himself or spoke to Joker over the comm. After all, it was never a requirement to mingle on the previous Normandy.

"Garrus!" A familiar voice rang out.

Garrus turned around to find an inebriated Commander Shepard. Her relaxed demeanor, and slightly slurred words, gave it away.

"Commander," Garrus greeted.

"Have you got a minute? I was just thinking of you," Shepard said. She walked slowly to the crates nearby the console, stumbling over her feet as she landed with a resounding, "Umph."

"Well, uh," the turian began, watching her with careful and amused eyes. "I was in the middle of some calibrations."

Shepard seemed to ignore his words. "You do realize how much I love having you aboard, don't you? Makes me feel safe among all the _Cerberus_." She flourished her hand dramatically when she said the name.

Garrus leaned against his console, crossing his arms as he looked over Shepard. "Your greeting back on Omega gave that away,” He chuckled.

"Plus, your vigilante-bad boy attitude only adds to the allure," she smirked at him.

Garrus felt himself smirk, or such as the turian equivalent of such an expression. " _The allure_ , huh?"

"Sure," Shepard drawled. "And now you've got battle scars. Zaeed better watch out," Shepard teased, earning another chuckle from Garrus.

"I doubt he has anything to worry about, his type probably isn't the type to pine after a turian with half his face missing."

"Oh, you never know. I hear humans secretly pine for their alien crew members all the time,” she gossiped.

“And here I thought most of you humans feared us,” Garrus jested.

“Only the stupid ones,” Shepard agreed, flashing him a toothy grin.

“I know under all that-“ she gestured towards him, “You’re a softie.”

“Excuse me?” Garrus feigned insult.

Shepard rolled her eyes and attempted to get up. She nearly toppled over, and Garrus reached towards her.

“You alright Commander?” He asked seriously.

She nodded, but wouldn’t meet his gaze. After a moment she smiled sheepishly, “I think I _may_ have drank too much with Dr. Chakwas.”

“Just sleep it off here,” Garrus offered. “I promise not to tell the crew.”

She breathed a laugh. “You’re too good to me, Vakarian.” She reached out, grabbed his forearm and gave it a squeeze.

Garrus felt his neck go hot at the touch. “Anything for you, Shepard.”


End file.
